By Marlee Jackson

Sheriff Matt Gentry’s tall frame lumbers through the Cullman County Detention Center, posing firm-but-kind questions to the 400-plus inmates in his charge.

“You keeping out of trouble?”

A genial leader who’s garnered respect across the county, Gentry delivers similar quips to those he’s pledged to protect since his first election in 2015.

“Tell them I said to straighten up,” Gentry grinned to a fellow diner at a barbecue joint later that day.

Community First

While Gentry occasionally dons a sheriff’s uniform, he’s more often clad in a crisp button-up and jeans. Worn cowboy boots rock heel-to-toe, a holdover from Marine Corps boot camp.

“When you wear a uniform or suit, citizens are not as comfortable. I want our community members to be at ease,” Gentry said. “The office of the sheriff belongs to the whole community. When law enforcement and citizens stand shoulder to shoulder, it’s unbreakable.”

Creating community was one of Gentry’s goals for Cullman County, a sprawling locale home to 100,000 citizens.

He readily doles out his phone number, coordinates a Sheriff’s Youth Leadership Academy and has rekindled a popular Sheriff’s Rodeo. Rodeo proceeds fund community cookouts, plus help outfit his staff with modern equipment, such as drones.

Gentry has borne well responsibility for 170 staffers who patrol, investigate, supervise work release programs and man a call center. That’s in addition to overseeing 40,000 civil processes, such as subpoenas and lawsuits.

Lt. Brandon Woods said Gentry’s servant leadership has had an impact — whether during a standoff, leading the charge to pick up litter or taking communion with inmates during Easter services.

“(Sheriff Gentry) is the one who has been for us — in the community and the sheriff’s office,” said Woods, a poultry and cattle farmer who serves on the Cullman County Farmers Federation board. “He wasn’t afraid to go to bat for us. He was able to come in and change with the times.”

Down to Business

Despite success, Gentry will retire from law enforcement in January 2027.

He then hopes to extend his impact statewide as a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates utility companies and protects consumer interests. Gentry will be on the ballot in the Republican primary May 19.

“The Public Service Commission touches every citizen in Alabama,” Gentry said. “You need a strong voice that will protect the citizens and not back down. I’ve been standing the line for 27 years.”

As sheriff, Gentry is well versed in managing regulations and protecting citizens’ rights. He reports to the Department of Justice, has testified in Washington, D.C., assessed security issues during visits to the Southern border and successfully fought a federal injunction that would have wreaked havoc on bail nationwide.

Memory Lane

Gentry’s personable nature and plan for public service quickly earned the respect of Alabama Farmers Federation members, who endorsed Gentry as the Alabama FarmPAC candidate for PSC Place 1.

A self-proclaimed hobby cattleman, Gentry said the farmer-leaders reminded him of childhood days spent with his late grandfather, a sweet potato and cattle farmer.

A black-and-white photo with that patriarch rests behind Gentry’s desk. The office is packed with memorabilia — from photos with veterans and saddles from the Sheriff’s Rodeo to a gun collection and artwork by nursing home residents.

There’s his Bible, too, and stacks of devotionals nestled near snapshots of his and wife Susie’s two sons.

At 47 years old, Gentry said his family has a real stake in the PSC election.

“We’re setting the foundation for the state and our kids,” he said. “A lot of people want to complain but aren’t willing to get in the truck and get the job done.”